Joining an Apple/Mac to the UWYO Domain

Background: Macs are typically joined to the domain when multiple users are logging into them and would like to maintain their own logins.  When the machine is set up for a single user, they typically are set up with local machine logins. 

To join a Mac to the UWYO domain: 

  1. Open the apple menu (apple icon on the top right corner of the desktop screen).  Choose "System Preferences" from the dropdown menu. 

  2. From the system preferences window, choose the Users and Groups window. 

  3. Click the lock at the bottom to unlock Users and Groups preferences.  Authenticate with the user account created previously. 

  4. Click on Logon Options

  5. Under Network Account Server, click the "Join" button. 

  6. You will see a new window with several text boxes. 

  7. Make note of the client computer ID.  This is the computer name we want to join to the domain.  If you want it to be changed, you will have to do so by going back into system preferences and doing the following:
    1. Once in System Preferences, go to the Sharing icon
    2. You will see a box with your computer name.  Enter what you would like your computer name to be over the domain. 
  8. With notes on your new computer name, go to the UW IT Admin page and browse to "Manage Employee Computer Accounts". 
  9. Add that computer to Active Directory with the computer name noted in the client computer ID textbox on the Mac. 
  10. Once the computer has been added to active directory successfully, go back to the main system preferences menu on the mac, then go to Users & Groups and click the "join" button for the Network Account Server. 
  11. A server text box will come up.  Enter: windows.uwyo.edu then hit OK.  This will bring up an AD settings window. 
    1.  For the server, enter: windows.uwyo.edu
    2. The client computer ID will already be entered.  If you would like to give your client computer a different name, enter that in the Client Computer ID textbox. 
    3. AD Admin User is the name of the user account with permission to join to the domain.  This should be based on the Department Support Username you entered on the Manage Employee Computer Accounts page on the UW IT Admin page. 
    4. AD Administrative password is the password for the account with permission to join to the domain. 
    5. Hit OK to join the mac to the domain. 
    6. Enter the local credentials for an administrator on the Mac. 
  12. If it is joined to the domain, you will now see a green circle and UWYO listed for the Network Account Server. 

  13. NOTE: if the computer is set to automatically log in with a local account, you will need to turn that off in users and groups under system preferences before joining to domain. 
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